EP3558850B1

EP3558850B1 - Cooling machine, reefer container

Info

Publication number: EP3558850B1
Application number: EP17828691.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ole Haugstrup BJERG
Original assignee: Maersk Container Industri AS
Current assignee: Maersk Container Industri AS
Priority date: 2016-12-22
Filing date: 2017-12-14
Publication date: 2022-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-14
Also published as: CN110177748A; WO2018114621A1; US20200017290A1; EP3558850A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cooling machine and a reefer container with a fan grille.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In cooling machines for reefer containers a fan opening is covered by a grille or grating made of stainless steel. The grille is mounted on a back-plate of the cooling machine inside the reefer container.
The grille is mounted on the back-plate covering a fan opening in order to avoid that a person unintentionally can get in touch with wings of the rotating fan and to avoid that parts of goods or packaging comes into contact with wings of the rotating fan.
The existing grille is made of stainless steel in order to achieve adequate strength, durability and cleaning. The cleaning is important to avoid growth of bacteria or germs. Here stainless steel has a suitable smooth surface to achieve easy cleaning.
A drawback can be that dirt can gather around fastening means and in joining between the back-plate and the fan grille.
Such a solution is disclosed by JP2008008517 A showing a separate panel (one of many) secured to the back-plate of the cooling machine in a reefer container by fasteners around the periphery of the panel. Likewise, WO 2004/080845 A1 discloses an air freight container comprising a fan-assisted temperature regulator, which can act as a cooling unit. The temperature regulator comprises an interior back plate to the container space a fan grille arranged in the upper part of the back plate mounted as a separate piece in a recess in the interior back plate.
GB 2 107 443 A and GB 2 068 900 A both discloses a container inner wall with integrated apertures (holes). The containers are fan-assisted ventilated containers with a ventilation duct comprised in the container wall and the apertures provides a communication with the ventilation duct. GB 2 107 443 A comprises the fan in the duct in the container wall to avoid any protrusions which may harm the goods to be transported. The duct is in communication with the outside and hence no recirculation of the air is provided.
EP2180276A1 discloses a cooling unit for a reefer container and includes a back plate adapted to form an interior wall of the container facing the interior of the container. The back plate is positioned to create an opening at the top and at the bottom of the end wall and a fan placed in the upper part for drawing the air from the inside of the container. EP2180276A1 recirculates the air through the cooling machine from the top to the bottom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These drawbacks are avoided by an integrated fan grille, where the back-plate is formed in one piece and provided with holes for letting through an airstream to the fan.
These drawbacks are likewise avoided in a cooling machine for a refer container according to claim 1 with the backplate with the integrated fan grill. In one embodiment of the cooling machine for a reefer container, the cooling machine comprises one or more evaporator fans and a back-plate. The back-plate is mounted on one side of the cooling machine, which side faces the inside of the reefer container thereby forming an end wall in a cooling compartment of the container. The back-plate comprises a fan grille, wherein the back-plate includes a grille or grating provided at an upper part of the back-plate. The one or more evaporator fans are placed to draw in return air in the cooling machine. The grille or grating is formed integral with the back-plate. The back-plate can be formed from fiberglass, fiber-reinforced plastic or cast from plastic material.
In an embodiment the back-plate is comprising layers of fibreglass forming the back-plate.
Further the back-plate can be provided with the grille or grating surrounding holes provided by drilling, cutting or another suitable machining of the back-plate after casting.
In an embodiment the grille or grating is provided by a mesh structure having different mesh sizes.
In an embodiment of the back-plate the grille or grating is provided with a more dense mesh structure in one or more local areas compared to a remaining part of the grille.
In an embodiment of the back-plate the grille or grating can have one or more local areas extending at least partly aligned with a fan.
In an embodiment of the back-plate the one or more local areas of the grille or grating extends longer in a width direction than in a height direction of the grille. In an embodiment of the back-plate local areas are positioned symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis through a centre of the grille.
According to the invention the back-plate the grille or grating is provided at an upper part of the back-plate.
Hereby is achieved a back-plate having fewer parts, lower weight less machining processes, Lower risk of damage to cargo packaging material due to less sharp edges, materials overlaps and fasteners, no cracks/overlaps in joining where bacteria can propagate and therefore also easier cleaning. Further is achieved that due to lower specific heat compared with stainless steel, condensation and thereby ice build-up is reduced in relation to the grille why de-icing time is also reduced.
Other advantages achieved by the invention being that the back-plate and grille or grating due to forming of the grille or grating directly in the back-plate in such a way that the grille or grating is integrated in the back-plate leads to a back-plate and a fan grille or grating formed in one part. Hereby it is also possible to manufacture a back-plate with fan grille or grating having lower weight compared to prior art.
A number of further advantages can be less and easier machining processes, Lower risk of damage to cargo packaging material due to less sharp edges, joining and fasteners and higher impact resistance compared to prior art. Further embodiments and advantages are disclosed below in the description and in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described more fully below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a cooling unit for a reefer container from an end facing inside the container;
Figure 2 shows the unit of figure 2 in a perspective view;
Figure 3 shows a back-plate according to the invention; and
Figure 4 shows the back-plate of figure 3 in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In a back-plate 1 for a cooling machine in a reefer container is provided a fan grille or grating 2. The back-plate 1 is mounted on one side of the cooling machine, which side is faced inside the reefer container thereby forming an end wall in a cooling compartment of the container.
The grille or grating 2 is formed integral with the back-plate where the grille or grating 2 defines a section of the back-plate 1.
Openings formed in the fan grille or grating 2 in the back-plate 1 forms a mesh structure 3. The openings can have different sizes and thereby form a mesh structure of different mesh sizes 3. In an area 4 close to rotating fan blades of the fans 5, the mesh size 3 of the grille or grating 2 is more dense and thereby more narrow openings compared to the rest of the mesh/openings 3 of the grille or grating 2. Hereby it is prevented that a person by accident can get his fingers in contact with the rotating fan 5 blades.
The cooling machine is mounted in a frame 6, which frame is fastened to one end of a reefer container opposite a door opening of the container or the frame 6 to which the cooling machine is mounted can be a part of the container structure.
In an embodiment the grille or grating 2 defined in the back-plate 1 comprises layers of fibreglass forming the back-plate 1. Here the layers of fibreglass is placed in such a way that web or the like from the layers is not covering the holes of the grille or grating 2, but forms the mesh 3 of the grille or grating 2.
The layers can be provided with cut-outs where the remaining fibreglass forms the mesh 3.
In an embodiment the grille or grating 2 surrounds holes, which holes are provided by drilling, cutting or another suitable machining of the back-plate 1 after casting.
In an embodiment the grille or grating 2 is provided with a more dense mesh structure in one or more local areas 4 compared to a remaining part of the mesh 3 of the grille 2.
In an embodiment the one or more local areas 4 extend at least partly aligned with a fan 5. Aligned should be understood as positioned in the mesh 3 close to a fan 5 and having an extent preventing a person from getting his fingers in contact with a rotating fan 5 blade.
In an embodiment the one or more local areas 4 extends longer in a width direction than in a height direction of grille 2.
In yet an embodiment the local areas 4 are positioned symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis through a centre of the grille 2.
According to the invention the grille or grating 2 is provided at an upper part of the back-plate 1 where one or more evaporator fans 5 are placed to draw in return air in the cooling machine.
Having such an integrated grille or grating 2 with the back-plate 1 of a reefer container eliminates joints where bacteria or germs can propagate and thereby reduces need for exhaustive cleaning before next cargo enters the container.

Claims

A cooling machine for a reefer container, the cooling machine comprising one or more evaporator fans (5) and a back-plate (1), the back-plate being mounted on one side of the cooling machine for side facing the inside of the reefer container for thereby forming an end wall in a cooling compartment of the container, the back-plate (1) comprising a fan grille, wherein the back-plate includes a grille or grating (2) provided at an upper part of the back-plate (1), wherein the one or more evaporator fans (5) are placed to draw in return air in the cooling machine characterized in that the grille or grating (2) is formed integral with the back-plate (1).
The cooling machine according to claim 1, wherein the grille or grating (2) defined in the back-plate (1) comprising layers of fibreglass forming the back-plate (1).
The cooling machine according to claim 1, wherein the grille or grating (2) surrounds holes provided by drilling, cutting or another suitable machining of the back-plate (1) after casting.
The cooling machine according to one or more of the claims 1 - 3, wherein the grille or grating (2) is provided by a mesh structure having different mesh sizes (3).
The cooling machine according to claim 4, wherein the grille or grating (2) is provided with a more dense mesh structure in one or more local areas (4) compared to a remaining part of the mesh (3) of the grille (2).
The cooling machine according to claim 5, wherein the one or more local areas (4) extends at least partly aligned with the one or more evaporator fans (5).
The cooling machine according to one or more of the claims 4 - 6, wherein the one or more local areas (4) extends longer in a width direction than in a height direction of the grille (2).
The cooling machine according to one or more of the claims 4 - 7, wherein the local areas (4) are positioned symmetrical in relation to a vertical axis through a centre of the grille (2).
A reefer container comprising a cooling machine according to any one or more of claims 1-8.